Home to Homeland

In the infamous words of Nina Simone. Baltimore is home. The place I always return to when life knocks the wind out of me. The place of too many cornerstone churches and abandoned buildings. Where I learned the language of dance on my living room floor, with my mother saying “go head Beenie Ball, do that dance”. The creative hub full of mosaic art pieces, neon lights, and a little tilt to everything we do. If a song was a hit you better believe it will be a club mix bumping from 92Q.You’ll never understand the true taste of a chicken box, with western fries, and a half and half with “saltpepperketchup” after a long day of school. If you made that dish and it was missing something just add a little pinch of Old Bay...okay that’ll do. You better be able to dress or the people will talk about you. We, people of so little yet our standards are far from few. My favorite was always birthday party cyphers when the music is bumpin’ and the legs get to jumping, and the heart starts thumpin’. The room moves! Like the water of the harbor with magic steam floating through charm city. It is not spiffy, so much taken from our city, yet we keep going and going, because no one can do us like we do.

When I think of home

I think of the stories

You told me

All the times on stoops

Life lived in a loop

I break free

When is the time when I will rise?

Shine, Fly, Soar.

Oh Baltimore, I love you

I pray we learn to love more

Wash off our sins at the shore

Release the hearts of stone

From Home to Home.

When you can not walk the distance, you catch a hack, the original Uber. A traditional practice of Baltimore where you gesture with the index and middle fingers as a signal for someone to stop on the side of the road. The distance traveled can range from up the street and around the corner with enough time for your story to be told. You ride at your own risk taking a ride on streets that once held the feet of legends past. Then dropped off at the corner of drug and crime aftermath. Baltimore, a port city that shares water with The Potomac River. With an inner harbor selling all kinds of seafood, especially steamed crabs for dinner. Here, there’s so much history, “Charm City” is technically considered the America’s South. Yet the Mason Dixon Line runs right through Maryland so slaves could walk right out. North Avenue, one of the oldest highways, travels from east to west. A city full of row houses, basement parties and a range from the worst to best. A little slice of the world in every corner from Little Italy to a piece of Mexico. Pennsylvania Avenue was full of black theaters of the 1920’s where everyone would go. James Brown performed at The Royal Theatre and got kicked off stage. The crowd sure was tough. This was the gateway city where many legends passed through before they went further up. Mondawmin mall named after a corn god presumed to be the first mall in the United States. They sold new sneakers here before they arrived in New York City and previously were segregated. Baltimore is the place of the unknown and known as a small work of art. Thank God this is my home where I built my character and got my humble start.

When I think of home

I think of the stories

You told me

All the times on stoops

Life lived in a loop

I break free

When is the time when I will rise?

Shine, Fly, Soar,

Oh Baltimore, I love you

I pray we learn to love more

Wash off our sins at the shore

Release the hearts of stone

From Home to Home